I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN.
I LOVE IT, PERSONALLY.
EXTRA CRISPY? COME ON! THIS IS DELICIOUS.
I MEAN, THE SECRET RECIPE? SO GOOD.
AND I'M NOT SAYING IT'S GOOD FOR YOU AND I'M NOT TRYING TO
PROMOTE ONE CHICKEN COMPANY OVER ANOTHER.
LISTEN, I'M AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY LOVER OF CHICKEN.
YOU MAKE SOME GOOD FRIED CHICKEN AND I'LL BE THERE.
BUT I HAVE A POINT TO ALL OF THIS, I REALLY DO.
AND THE POINT THAT I'M TRYING TO MAKE TODAY
IS THAT I'M COMING AT YOU WITH THE POWERFUL STORY
OF COLONEL SANDERS! THAT'S RIGHT. KFC, COLONEL SANDERS.
DID YOU KNOW THAT THE COLONEL STARTED SERVING FRIED CHICKEN
AT HIS SHELL GAS STATION WHEN HE WAS IN HIS 40'S?
DID YOU KNOW THAT HE PERFECTED THE RECIPE FOR 10 YEARS
BEFORE HE GOT A BIGGER LOCATION?
AND DID YOU KNOW THAT A LARGE HIGHWAY GOT BUILT
THAT TOOK TRAFFIC FROM HIS RESTAURANT
SO HE HAD TO CLOSE DOWN?
DID YOU KNOW HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT LIVING OFF
HIS $105 A MONTH PENSION CHECK,
AND SO HE STARTED DRIVING ALL OVER THE PLACE
LOOKING TO SELL HIS SECRET RECIPE?
AND DID YOU KNOW THAT OVER ONE THOUSAND POTENTIAL PARTNERS
TURNED HIM DOWN? WHAT? A THOUSAND?
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN REJECTED A THOUSAND TIMES?
I DON'T KNOW IF I COULD KEEP GOING.
BUT THE COLONEL BELIEVED WITH ALL HIS HEART
THAT THE RECIPE HE HAD WAS SOMETHING SPECIAL,
SO HE NEVER STOPPED.
JESUS TALKS ABOUT COLONEL SANDERS-STYLE BELIEF.
HE DOESN'T MENTION COLONEL SANDERS, OF COURSE,
EVEN THOUGH THE COLONEL WAS OLDER THAN JESUS.
BUT HE TALKS ABOUT THE KIND OF BELIEF THAT CAN CHANGE ANYTHING.
MARK 9:23 HAS BEEN ONE OF MY FAVORITE VERSES FOR A LONG TIME.
THERE'S THIS DAD WHO DESPERATELY IS
LOOKING FOR HELP FOR HIS SON, WHO'S POSSESSED BY A DEMON
WHO VIOLENTLY TRIES TO THROW HIM INTO A FIRE TO KILL HIM.
AND, I MEAN, YOU CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE THAT!
AND THE FATHER'S DESPERATE SO HE COMES TO JESUS
AND HE SAYS IN VERSE 22, "HELP US IF YOU CAN."
AND JESUS IMMEDIATELY CLAPS BACK AT HIM, "IF I CAN?"
I LOVE THAT.
JESUS IS LIKE, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN, IF I CAN?"
HE SAYS, "ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE."
COLONEL SANDERS-LIKE BELIEF. THE COLONEL BELIEVED,
SO MUCH BELIEF THAT HE WOULD ENDURE THOUSANDS OF REJECTIONS.
THAT'S HIGH BELIEF. AND THAT IS WHAT JESUS IS SAYING.
ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IF YOU BELIEVE LIKE THAT.
JESUS IS SAYING, "I KNOW WHAT'S BEST
"AND I'M INVITING YOU TO TRUST ME LIKE THAT."
AND THE DUDE WITH THE DEMON POSSESSED SON,
HE GETS REALLY HONEST, WHICH I LOVE AND I CAN RELATE TO,
IN VERSE 24 HE SAYS, "THE FATHER INSTANTLY CRIED OUT,
'I DO BELIEVE, BUT HELP ME OVERCOME MY UNBELIEF!'"
THAT IS FUNNY RIGHT THERE.
I BELIEVE... AND I DON'T.
MAN, THAT'S ME. I GOTTA PRAY THAT PRAYER ALL THE TIME.
"JESUS, I TOTALLY BELIEVE IN YOU,
"EXCEPT WHEN I DON'T.
"I KNOW YOU'VE GOT ME,
"EXCEPT WHEN THINGS DON'T GO THE WAY THAT I WANT,
"THEN I WONDER, WHAT THE HECK? WHERE ARE YOU?"
BUT CHECK THIS OUT. OUR FAITH POINTS US TO CHRIST'S POWER.
THAT'S WHAT JESUS WAS TEACHING.
LOOKING TO JESUS IS THE KEY TO DISCOVERING
WHAT IS BEST FOR ME, FOR YOU, FOR THE WORLD!
AND TRUSTING HIM.
SO I GET IT. YOU STRUGGLE TO BELIEVE.
AND YET, YOU TOTALLY BELIEVE.
LORD, HELP MY UNBELIEF.
JESUS, DRAW ME OUT OF WANTING TO GIVE UP.
JESUS, SHOW ME WHY I SHOULD BELIEVE.
JESUS, I TRUST YOU
BUT SOMETIMES I STRUGGLE TO TRUST YOU,
SO HELP ME TRUST YOU!
I KNOW YOU WANT TO GIVE UP BELIEVING
BECAUSE NOTHING YOU'VE BEEN HOPING FOR HAS BEEN HAPPENING.
BUT I'M TELLING YOU. I'M TELLING YOU DON'T GIVE UP.
BELIEVE IN THE POWER THAT JESUS HAS TO DO ANYTHING.
COLONEL SANDERS-STYLE BELIEF.
TRUST THAT HE KNOWS AND IS LEADING YOU
TO WHAT'S BEST FOR YOU.
SO BELIEVE IN HIM
AND FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON'T GIVE UP.